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Detective Comics Vol 1 359
' The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl! ' :"Who is this new Batgirl who seems to have taken over my crime-fighting territory?" ::--'Batman' Summary Volume: 1 Issue: 359 Month: January Year: 1967 Credits Head Writer: Gardner Fox Cover Artists: Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson Pencilers: Carmine Infantino Inkers: Sid Greene Editors: Julius Schwartz Synopsis Cast of Characters: * Batman * Alfred Pennyworth * Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) * Burton Talbot * James Gordon * Larva * Killer Moth * Pupa * Robin (Dick Grayson) Locations: * Gotham City :*Bristol Country Club :*Gotham City Police Headquarters :*Gotham Public Library :*Moth Mansion :*Wayne Manor Items: *Batcyle *Batmobile *Mothmobile First Appearances: Batgirl (Barbara Gordon; James Gordon's daughter); Burton Talbot (a millionaire); Larva (a Moth Man); Pupa (a Moth Man) Final Appearances: Burton Talbot Synopsis: Barbara Gordon, daughter of Gotham City police commissioner, James Gordon, prepares to attend a policeman's charity masquerade ball. She designs a costume in the style of Batman and names herself, Batgirl. As she arrives at the country club, she finds a villain named Killer Moth and his Moth-Men attacking one of the guests, Bruce Wayne. Batgirl dives into them, giving Wayne a chance to escape. Bruce takes this opportunity to change into Batman, then returns to the spot to give Batgirl a hand. Killer Moth uses his silk gun to web Batgirl to the side of Bruce's car, and then escapes with his underlings. Batman pulls Batgirl free and introductions are made between the two. The following day, Bruce Wayne receives a letter in the mail. Killer Moth wants him to pay 100,000 or else he will murder him. Bruce consults with Dick Grayson and the two lay a trap for Killer Moth. That evening, Barbara Gordon leaves the library where she works. She has acquired a rare book that she intends on selling to Bruce Wayne. As she arrives at Wayne Manor, she finds Bruce lying dead in his study, with Killer Moth and his goons hovering above him. She hurriedly changes into Batgirl and leaps into the study. She fights off all three men at once, but once again, they succeed in escaping. Batman and Robin appear and tell her that the body of Bruce Wayne is actually just a dummy. They were laying a trap for Killer Moth in the hopes of tracking him back to his lair, but Batgirl spoiled their plans. Fortunately, Batgirl had planted a tracer on the Mothmobile and they can easily trail their foes back to Moth Mansion. Batman and Robin arrive at the mansion first and enter through the front foyer. They suddenly discover that the room is in fact a gravity-well and they begin floating towards the ceiling. Batgirl follows in behind them and uses magnetic boots to keep herself on the floor. She disables the gravity-well, setting the caped crusaders free. Batgirl manages to find the secret closet panel where Killer Moth is hiding. Batman and Robin each knock him out with one solid punch. After taking the villain to prison, they say goodbye to Batgirl wondering when, or if, they will ever meet her again. Elongated Man ' Riddle of the Sleepytime Taxi ' Credits Head Writer: John Broome Penciler: Murphy Anderson Inkers: Murphy Anderson Editor: Julius Schwartz Synopsis Cast of Characters: * Elongated Man * Beejay * Sue Dibny Locations: * Chestnut City First Appearances: Beejay (and the Sleepytime Taxi Crew) Final Appearances: Beejay Synopsis: The Elongated Man and Sue Dibny dress up for a masquerade party in Chestnut City. Ralph enlarges his hand to hail a passing cab. The cabbie tries to blow them off in favor of a larger fare, but a passing police officer forces him to accept the two costumed customers. During the cab ride, Ralph and Sue suddenly fall asleep. When they wake up, they realize that the cross-town jaunt has taken them over an hour. Further, Ralph deduces that they are in a different cab than the one they first got into. Sensing a mystery, the Elongated Man pursues the taxi back to its garage. He finds that the Sleepytime Cab Company is run by a con man named Beejay. Beejay picks up important fares, knocks them out via sleeping gas from the trunk of the car, and steals whatever important money or documents they may find on their person. The Elongated Man bursts into the garage and scuffles with Beejay’s men. He threads his body through a supply of tires and slams the crew against the wall. He then snakes Beejay and drops him into a washing unit, jovially remarking, "You're all washed up!" Notes * First appearance of the Silver Age Batgirl. By editorial edict from Julius Schwartz, this issue renders all previous appearances by Bette Kane (the Golden Age Batgirl) apocryphal. Bette Kane will reappear however as a member of Titans West known as Flamebird. * The name of the club where the policeman's charity is being held is not provided until Batgirl: Year One #1. * Secret Origins (Volume 2) #20 adapts the storyline from this issue into Batgirl's origin. Trivia * The creation of the revised Batgirl character was inspired by the pending appearance of Batgirl on the 1966 live-action television series, Batman. On September 14th 1967, Yvonne Craig debuted as Batgirl in the opening episode of Season three entitled, Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin. * In the early years of Batgirl's career, she was presented as the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon. In the Post-Crisis continuity however, she is actually Gordon's niece, whom he later adopts. * The cover to this issue is re-imagined for the cover to Batman: Gotham Knights #43. Reprints * The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl is reprinted in Millennium Edtion: Detective Comics #359, Batman: From the Thirties to the Seventies, DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #9, and partially reprinted in Batman #208. * Riddle of the Sleepytime Taxi is reprinted in Millennium Edtion: Detective Comics #359 and 100-Page Super Spectacular DC-22. Recommended Readings * Batgirl: Year One * Batgirl Special #1 * Comics Batman * Batman: The Killing Joke * Secret Origins (Volume 2) #20 Related Articles * Gotham City Police Department * Moth Men External Links * Detective Comics article at Wikipedia * Detective Comics series index at the Grand Comics Database * Detective Comics series index at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe * Batman article at Wikipedia * Batman (Silver Age) biography page at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe * Batgirl article at Wikipedia * Bob Kane article at Wikipedia * Robin article at Wikipedia References *Batman appearances list *Batman picture gallery *Detective Comics cover gallery *Batgirl appearances list *Elongated Man appearances list *Killer Moth appearances list *Robin appearances list *Sue Dibny appearances list *Batman Secret Files and Origins #1 (Batman biography page) *Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #2 (Batman and Batgirl biography pages) ---- Detective Comics 359 Detective Comics 359 Detective Comics 359